Just Friends
by sammiam13
Summary: “Congratulations. I’m happy for you.” His tone of voice completely contradicted his words. He wore a congratulatory smile, but I could see in his emerald eyes that the smile was not genuine.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm taking a little break from I Won't Let You Go.**

**It's not being completely given up on, just a break.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

"Edward, let me go! P-P-Please s-stop!"

I couldn't stop the stream of giggles escaping my mouth. Edward Cullen knew my true weakness. My ticklishness.

His bright green eye's looked into mine, and he wore a smug grin on the pale face of his.

"Okay, okay." He said reluctantly.

We both sat down on the couch in my living room. I crossed my legs and started to fiddle with my hands.

I could feel Edward's intense gaze on me.

"Bella," he started, "Please tell me whatever secret you are keeping from me."

He proceeded to put on the pout that usually got him whatever he wanted. His lower lip jutted out, and he looked at me with pleading eyes. Some of his bronze hair fell over his eye. It was always out of place, being that he never bothered to style it.

I knew I wouldn't be able to resist much longer. I could never deny my best friend something when he made that pout. But I was going to try and prolong the moment of _me _knowing something that_ he_ didn't.

"Well…" I said in a small voice as I fiddled intently with my hands. I knew if I looked at him again, then I was done for.

"Belly, please tell me. I'm going to explode from not knowing."

I smirked. He only pulled out the 'Belly' card when he was really frustrated or annoyed. I was doing well.

"It's not really that important. It doesn't matter." That was sure a lie.

"Well," he began to reason, "If it doesn't matter, then why are you thinking about it? Come on Belly, you tell me everything!"

I sighed. He was right. In our many years of friendship there was hardly anything that I didn't tell him.

I finally looked up and met his gaze. A look of relief passed on his face, knowing that he had won. He turned his body to face me.

"Well?"

"You just have to promise not to tell Alice. I want to tell her myself." I told him the circumstances.

"Pinky promise."

We joined pinkies and I took a deep breath.

The other reason, besides enjoying Edward's unknowing, was that I wasn't really comfortable about telling him this. I didn't know how he was going to react, since I had never talked to him about anything like this before.

"Ok. Well, you know Jacob Black, the junior, right?"

His eyes seemed to darken when I mentioned that name. I saw some fierce emotion cross his face, but he quickly masked whatever it was.

"Yes, I do know him," he responded through gritted teeth.

I wasn't sure if I should proceed telling him. He seemed really angry or annoyed at Jake, and I wasn't sure how he was going to react.

"Well… he asked me out to the movies on Friday. My first date Edward! I think I really like Jacob too! I'm so excited!"

My mind began to wander to when he had asked me out.

I had taken a trip down to La Push to see him. His father and my father are friends, so we used to hang out when we were little kids. But, when I got into high school, I didn't go down to La Push anymore, my life had gotten so busy.

I recall the beach being beautiful, the sun just about to set.

"_Hey Bells!" Jacob called out to me._

"_Hey Jake!" I ran up to him and gave him a hug. He might have been a year younger than me, but he was about two feet taller._

"_Did you grow again?" I asked, looking up at his face. His russet skin hadn't changed since I last saw him a few years back. His hair had gotten a bit longer, and the baby fat from his face was long gone. He face was more angled now, and his cheekbones stood out._

"_Probably," he laughed. "You look great Bells."_

_I blushed, something I did too often for my liking._

_He smiled when he saw that he made me blush. Jake seemed more confident then when I had seen him._

"_Come on, let me show you the rest of the beach," he said, taking my hand._

_Yes, this Jake was extremely bolder, and this made me blush yet again._

For a couple hours, we just sat and talked. He made me laugh and blush so much, but I didn't mind at all. I actually rather enjoyed it.

"_Bella, it's been great to catch up like this," Jake commented as he threw skipped a rock out into the ocean._

_I attempted to skip a rock too, but it just sank straight to the bottom. We both laughed at this._

"_Yeah," I agreed, "It's been fun."_

"_We should do it more often," he continued, staring me straight in the eye, "like maybe this Friday?"_

_He smirked after he said that._

_I foolishly blurted out, "As a date?"_

_My cheeks became red from embarrassment._

_Jake didn't seem embarrassed at all._

"_Only if you want it to be," he responded calmly, the grin on his face just became bigger as my blush increased._

"_Where are we going to go for our _date _on Friday?" I emphasized the word date, making my intentions clear, and my blush grew even more. My face was probably as red as a tomato._

_Jake's smile got so big that I was afraid his face was about to crack. It was kind of cute._

"_Movies, 7:00," he responded, "I'll pick you up."_

"Congratulations. I'm happy for you." Edward's voice broke me out of my reverie.

His tone of voice completely contradicted his words. He wore a congratulatory smile, but I could see in his emerald eyes that the smile was not genuine. Even when he tried to keep things from me, his eyes gave himself away.

"Oh don't worry Eddie," he winced at his nickname that I had so graciously given him, "Jake isn't going to change anything. You and I are still going to be best friends. We always will be."

He looked down at the ground. This didn't seem to comfort him at all.

So I did the only thing I could think of to cheer him up.

Luckily, Edward and I shared the same weakness.

I pounced on him, tickling his sides.

He started to laugh, which in turn made me burst into laughter. We both ended up on the couch, sitting next to each other, clutching our sides.

After our laughter had ceased, Edward spoke.

"I think I better be getting home."

His crooked smile was present on his face, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. I would confront him about it later, but for now it didn't seem that he would be telling me anything.

"See ya, _Eddie_."

**Hehe. Don't you just love the best friends falling in love stories?**

**Me too. But this one might have a bit of a twist...**

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

"Eeeeeeep!"

Alice's deafening scream almost burst my ears.

But, truth be told, I was just excited as she was.

"I know, I know, I'm really excited too! It's my first date! And Jake's a really nice guy," I responded.

Alice just smiled in response. But, it wasn't so much of a smile as much as it was an evil grin. I saw a little devilish glint in her eyes, and knew she was thinking about something.

"Alice…" I began warily.

"Bella," she put on a pouty face similar to Edward's, they were siblings after all. "Bella, please let me pick out your outfit and do your hair, please please please!"

She even knelt down on her pink carpet, clutching my hand and whimpering for extra effect.

I sighed. Damn those Cullens and their irresistible pouts!

"One condition," I started. "I have veto power on anything too drastic."

Alice looked at me like I had three heads.

"Because," I began to explain, "You have a tendency to go a little overboard on things."

Alice just scoffed at this.

"I'm not going to give you veto power," she bargained, "but I promise not to go overboard."

Knowing that I would probably lose this argument if I continued further, I just accepted the conditions that Alice proposed.

"Deal."

"EEEP!" Alice let out another squeak.

"Okay, well first you're going to have to come over about two hours before your date, and then I need to pick out your outfit, get some new nail polish…"

Alice began to go into her own little world. She leaped into her closet, probably looking to her own wardrobe for inspiration.

I took the time to take in Alice's new room. She had redecorated it recently. Her full bed sat in a place of prominence in the middle of her main wall. The comforter was a stylish mix of yellow and pink. The rest of her room was the same color scheme, and it made my eyes hurt.

I rubbed my eyes, and decided to leave Alice's excitement was not going to end anytime soon.

Instead of standing around and listening to Alice go on about the fashion choices she was going to make, I decided to walk down the hall to Edward's room and pay him a visit.

I hadn't talked to him since I told him I was going to the movies with Jake. That was three days ago.

Edward and I talk about every day, so this was really odd. I tried to call him a couple of times, but he never answered. I had even called his home phone, but I just reached Esme telling me that, "He was busy."

But now, he would have to talk to me, because I was going to march into his room.

When I reached Edward's door, I heard him playing his piano. Wonderful sounds of his self composed music wafted through the door. My ears were intrigued.

Maybe I wouldn't do the whole busting through the door thing.

I crept as stealthily as I could into his room. Thank goodness Esme fixed his squeaky door.

I looked around his room. His one wall was completely filled to the brim with CDs. He knew more songs than anyone I knew. He often tried to share his eclectic taste of music with me, and I would take in as much as I could.

My gaze fell upon Edward at his piano. His eyes were closed and he was focusing intently on his music. His hands deftly glided over the piano keys, and a small smile played on his lips.

The piece he was playing sounded almost like a lullaby. I could have sworn I had heard it before, but it must have been déjà vu or something of the sort.

I found myself leaning on his doorway, letting my eyes close and falling into a light sleep, when Edward's voice suddenly woke me.

"Bella! How long have you been standing there?" Edward shockingly asked. His hand was over his heart like he was an elderly woman who was trying to spare herself from a heart attack. It made me chuckle.

His bright green eyes were filled with shock, and he had a look on his face that almost looked like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing.

"Long enough," I replied. "That really was a beautiful piece. What's it called?"

Edward's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. Why was he blushing?

"Thank you. Um, I haven't uh, named it yet. Why are you here?"

"What, can't a girl visit her best friend?" I said teasingly. "Even if her best friend has been avoiding her for the past couple of days."

He looked down at his hands, and started to play with them. He didn't say anything in response; he just merely patted the spot on the piano bench next to him, beckoning me to sit next to him.

I happily obliged and took my spot next to him, waiting for a response from him.

He took a deep breath, and finally looked into my eyes. His eyes were full of indecision that made me curious.

"Bella," he said warily, "there's a reason why I have been avoiding you for the past couple of days."


	3. Chapter 3

**I bet you just loved the cliffy in the last chapter. :)**

"Whatever it is, it better be good," I teased with a smile on my face. He weakly smiled back, and I gave him a questioning look.

He looked back down at his hands again, and started to fiddle with them.

"It's just that," he started.

"Go on," I urged him.

He finally looked into my eyes with a newfound courage. Or, as I looked deeper into his eyes, it seemed he had a newfound rage.

"It's just that I can't stand that Jacob Black. I never could, and I never will," he said. His voice was just a tone above normal.

He paused for a moment, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He only did this when he was extremely mad. What had Jacob done to set him off?

He exhaled, and then looked me straight in the eyes again.

"I really couldn't grasp that you were going out with him. I didn't want to have to deal with it, so I just blocked you out for a few days."

His forest green eyes pleaded with mine.

"Are you really positive that you want to see him? I mean, he's no good. He's no good for you, especially."

I didn't know what to say to him. All I wanted to know was, _why_?

I closed my eyes for a moment, collecting my thoughts.

Finally, there was just no other way to express my feelings.

"Why," I said in almost a whisper.

"Why what?" he asked.

I found my voice, and spoke louder.

"Why," I continued, "do you have such a problem with Jacob?"

I could feel my eyes beginning to get more watery by the second. I always cried when I was mad or frustrated. Another something that I did too much.

Why didn't Edward like Jacob? I really liked Jacob, and I really liked Edward, in two different ways of course. However, I wanted them both to have a part in my life. I didn't want to choose between them. I wanted them to both get along, maybe even be friends.

I knew Edward could see that I was on the verge of tears. He hated when I cried, even if it was when I was mad. He had told me himself.

I remember when he had told me. I had accidentally harmed Edward's beloved Volvo.

"_Edward I have something to tell you. And you're going to be really mad at me, but I have to tell you," I said as I was shaking. Edward was going to be so mad._

_He smiled his crooked grin at me. It didn't comfort me._

"_Oh Belly," he teased, "Just tell me. It can't be that bad."_

_I just stared at the ground._

_He began to chuckle._

"_Please tell me, it looks as though you have committed murder the way you are acting."_

"_Well," I began, "this is kind of similar to murder."_

_He just raised an eyebrow._

"_Well, I kind of killed your car."_

_He became instantly serious at the mentioning of his car._

"_What?" he asked._

"_I was driving it, and then a squirrel ran across the road. I didn't want to hit it, so I swerved. When I swerved, I ran off the side of the road and kind of hit a tree," I stared at the ground the whole time feeling immensely guilty._

_Edward didn't say anything, so I continued._

"_I sent it to the shop, and I promise I will pay for it," I said._

_Edward still didn't say anything._

_I looked up to see his reaction, and saw that he was pinching the bridge of his nose._

'_Oh god,' I thought, 'He really is angry.'_

_Tears started to freely flow down my cheeks. I let out a small sob, and Edward looked at me._

"_Are you _crying_?" he asked me, shock evident in his voice._

_I just let the tears flow, and didn't say anything. If I said something, I might have broken into a full out sob._

_Instead of blowing up like I predicted he would, he came over to me and wrapped his arms around me._

_Now_ I _was the shocked one._

"_Aren't you mad at me?" I blubbered._

"_Oh Bella," he said, "I'm not mad at _you_, I'm mad at that damn squirrel." He pulled out of the hug and grinned._

_That didn't make me feel any better. I looked at him and frowned._

"_Bella, don't you understand? I'm just glad that you weren't hurt. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt in _my _car."_

_A felt a bit more relieved after he said this, but the water from my eyes was still heavily flowing._

_Edward reached his hand out and wiped my tears away._

"_And please don't cry," he pleaded. "I just can't stand it when you cry, especially if I am the one making you. I only want to see you happy, and if you cry, they have to be tears of joy."_

Edward's touch broke me from me reverie.

"Bella, please understand," he said as he wiped a tear that fell from my eye.

I sniffled, and then looked at him to explain.

"Bella, I never want to see you hurt. I never want to see you cry," he said with his voice full of sincerity. "All I want is for you to be happy. I don't think he is going to make you happy. I don't like the way he treats people, and you deserve to be treated well, extremely well. I don't think anyone should treat you anything less than that."

He took my hand, and he squeezed it. He gave me his signature crooked smile, and then took me into his arms to give me a hug. I hugged him back, getting lost in his warm embrace. I always felt right with Edward, and he could always cheer me up.

I broke away from the hug first, and looked at Edward. He had a smile on his face, but yet again, there was something wrong with his eyes.

"Just think over what I said," Edward advised as he patted my knee.

He then walked out of the room, leaving me sitting on his piano bench.

I really was touched at the little talk Edward gave me. It reminded me that he cared about me. He didn't want me hurt. He really was the best friend I could ask for.

I walked over to Edward's bed, and collapsed on it. That little talk had emotionally exhausted me. I found his iPod on his bed, and looked for the personal playlist he had made for me after I had whined about not knowing how to navigate his immense library.

I found a new song on my playlist. It read, "Bella's Lullaby." It seemed like the perfect song at the moment, so I selected it.

I listened to the piano play on the track. I did not recognize it, but I did like it.

Further into the song, I heard the same music that I had heard only a few moments before coming from Edward's piano.

Had Edward written this for me? Or was it just a coincidence that he found a song titled this and learned how to play it on piano?

Nonetheless, I fell to sleep listening to the familiar sound of Edward's hands glide over ivory piano keys.

**God Bella is clueless. And Edward just needs to tell her.  
Right?  
Reviews might make me write faster.. (hint hint)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, I know this one is kind of short.  
But I had to give you guys SOMETHING.  
And besides, some action actually happends in this part. XD**

I was in a deep green forest, trees enveloping me. The ground was damp, and I sat on the grass with my legs crossed. A light haze surrounded me, limiting my vision.

A man was walking towards me, calling my name.

"Bella," he called in a velvety voice.

I couldn't tell who the man was, but I was melted simply from his voice. He was lost in the haze, and I could not see him, only his shadow. From the distance, I could tell that he was tall and lanky but well built.

I waited for him to come closer.

Finally, he stepped out of the haze and came closer to me.

I immediately recognized his eyes, being the same shade as the forest around me.

I immediately recognized the bronze colored hair that I had seen so often.

His skin was just as pale it has always been a nice ivory color I was familiar with.

It was Edward. My Edward.

Wait. My Edward?

"Edward!" I called out, my face lighting up.

Upon seeing my recognition of him, he sprinted towards me, closing the distance between us.

He pulled me into his tight, warm embrace. He held on to me like I was going to float away, and I held on even tighter.

Then he broke away, and looked into my eyes.

He looked at my lips for a second, and then began to lean his head closer to mine.

He pressed his lips to mine, and I didn't fight him off. I was completely fine with it.

Rather, I _loved_ it.

I ran my tongue across his bottom lip, begging for entrance.

It was one of the most intense kisses I have ever had, and I was extremely disappointed when he pulled away.

We were both gasping for air, looking into each others eyes.

Then suddenly, he gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and said,

"I love you, Bella."

Then, before I could respond, he left me in the middle of the forest, shocked and alone.

I walked out of the forest, and waiting for me was Jacob. Jacob Black.

He ran up to me, and pulled me into his embrace.

However, I felt the longing for Edward's touch.

Jacob pulled away, and looked into my eyes.

"Bella," he said in a whisper.

All I could respond with was a meek,

"Edward."

And then I woke up.

I bolted upwards, looking around me.

I was still in Edward's bed, seeing as his immense CD collection was right in front of me resting on his wall.

I looked around for Edward and he was lying on the floor on a sleeping bag.

He looked so peaceful. His bronze hair was tousled, and he was sprawled out. A content smile was playing on his full lips.

Lips that I had just kissed only moments before. In a dream.

Wait, I just had a dream about Edward!

What did this mean? Did Edward know? Did I actually like him as more than a friend? Did he like me?

What was I still doing in his bed thinking all these questions?

My cheeks turned hot from embarrassment that I had just had a dream about Edward in his bed.

I needed to get out of this room. Out of his house, and away from him.

I needed to be alone, to process my thoughts.

So I picked up all of my stuff, and ran out the door, thankfully not tripping on anything.

I picked up my cell phone to see what time it was.

It read 7:00.

Now I know why the house was so empty. No one in their right mind wakes up this early on spring break.

Except Carlisle and Esme, who were off to work at their respective jobs.

And of course, except girls like me who think that they might like their best friend.

I grabbed my keys and made my way to my car outside.

For once, I was grateful that my family and friends had made me get rid of my big truck and purchase a little, quiet sedan.

I clambered into my car, and drove.

I drove away from Forks, away from my conflicts.

I drove for a solid twenty minutes, before I couldn't handle driving anymore.

I just needed to think.

I pulled over to the side of the road, and got out.

There was a trail conveniently nearby, leading into a deep forest.

I took it.

Walking for about fifteen minutes, I found a nice spot to think.

I sat.

And there I thought.

**That's not too much of a cliffy, is it?**

And, you know, I really love it when you review.

XD


	5. Chapter 5

**Yes, I know that it's been a while since I've updated.  
BUT to sort of make up for it, there's a lot of stuff that happens in this chapter.  
So enjoy! :)**

**Edward's POV**

As I woke up this morning, I first didn't recognize where I was. I was in a sleeping bag, apparently on the floor. But, then I saw the familiar surroundings of my room, and all the events of last night flooded back to memory.

I was in my room, playing my piano to send all my troubles away. I was lost in my favorite composition, _Bella's Lullaby._ As my hands glided over the ivory keys, I thought back on all the times I have spent with her, and all the things she does to make me love her.

Her stubbornness in admitting she's wrong, the delightful tinge of pink that rises to her cheeks when she's embarrassed, the adorable laugh she emits when we have the tickle fights. Thinking about all these things, I felt a smile come upon my face.

I opened my eyes to look around the room, when I saw Bella standing in my doorway! When the hell did she get there? I can't believe she just heard me playing my piece for her! Did she know it was hers?

She must have recognized it from the many times I had hummed it for her while she went to sleep. Surely she did.

"Bella!" I said, "How long have you been standing there?"

And then she complimented me on my music. I couldn't bear to tell her the name of it, not yet.

And she confronted me about why I was avoiding her. What was I supposed to say?

I could make up some poor excuse. She would never know then.

"Bella, there's a reason I have been avoiding you for the past couple of days."

But, I was tired of it. Loving your best friend without them knowing really tears you up inside, you know? So I decided I was finally going to do it. I was going to tell her how I feel. How I have felt for as long as I've been in high school.

And then I looked into her chocolate eyes. I saw how happy she was. The teasing smile on her face was so adorable, but I realized that it wasn't _mine._ Her heart belonged to that scoundrel, Jacob Black. Just saying his name made my fists ball up in anger.

So I told her my concerns about Jacob Black. I did tell the truth, just not _all_ of it. Like the other reasons why Black was currently the one person I despised the most. Because I wanted that place in Bella's heart all for myself.

And when I told her, she became upset. I could see tears forming in her eyes. I wanted to punch myself. I was making this beautiful angel cry. Her displeasure right now was all my fault.

I needed to cheer her up, so I did the only thing that felt right. I took her into my arms. She didn't flinch away, rather she fit perfectly into my embrace.

'This is how it should be,' I thought to myself, 'Bella being in my arms.'

I couldn't put her through any more emotional stress that evening, so I left. I left her in my room, and went for a little drive to my safe haven.

It was a twenty minute drive out of Forks. I pulled over to a specific spot on the side of the road, and found my trail. A fifteen minute hike was certainly worth the peace and serenity of my meadow.

I looked at my personal heaven on Earth. It was teeming with all sorts of beautiful flowers, making a little rainbow of colors in the grass. A gentle stream flowed, giving a little calming back round noise. The sun shined brightly overhead, giving my meadow a nice glow. I sat down in the soft, lush grass.

I just sat and thought at the meadow until sundown, when I decided I'd better go back home.

When I stepped back into my room, I saw Bella sleeping on my bed, with my iPod in her ears. She looked so peaceful. Her long, mahogany hair was fanned out, and she slept on her side, sort of curled into a ball. I liked seeing Bella in my bed, a little too much. I wasn't about to disturb her, so I found a sleeping bag and took a spot on the floor.

And now, waking up this morning, I feel so cowardly for not telling her my feelings yesterday. I instead ranted about her current crush.

My mind wandered back to what she said when she first told me about Jacob. Words that hurt me so deeply, and made me long for her even more.

"You and I are still going to be best friends. We always will be."

Best friends. I wanted more than that. I needed more than that.

I sighed, and buried my head into my pillow.

Then I suddenly looked up. All this time I was thinking of Bella, I forgot that she was here in my bedroom. Right now.

But then I looked up at my bed, and where I thought I should see my Bella resting peacefully, I just saw an empty bed, and my iPod laying on it.

I looked outside from my window, and saw that her car was gone.

It was 9:00. I had gotten up sort of early on a break day. How early had Bella gotten up?

I made a plan to visit her later today, to see how she was doing.

So, to kill some time, I went downstairs to watch television. Alice was probably still sleeping, since I didn't see her bubbly self anywhere around the house.

After about two hours of mindless entertainment, Alice skipped down the stairs.

"Edward, how long have you been awake?" she asked.

"A while," I looked at her and admitted. She was already dressed in some stylish name brand designer. Why Mom and Dad bought her all these expensive clothes was beyond me. And why they let Alice shop for me and take over my wardrobe so I dressed nicely was beyond me too.

I looked back at the television to see Moe whack Curly on the side of the head. I had never watched the Three Stooges before, but they were actually mildly entertaining.

I could feel Alice staring at me. She stared at me for a while until I finally turned toward her and confronted her with a, "What?"

Her face turned solemn and walked over to a chair, right next to the couch I had planted myself on.

"Edward, I know something is the matter with you," she said as her dark eyes peered right into mine with a concerned look on her face.

"I know I should have noticed it earlier," she continued, "but me and Jazz were going through sort of a rough time."

I tore my eyes away from the television to raise my eyebrows at the last part. Her Jasper, her boyfriend, were usually always on good terms.

"Don't worry," she said as she saw my face, "It's all good again."

I was relieved. Jasper was a good guy. I turned back to the television.

But, Alice snatched the remote and turned Larry, Moe, and Curly off.

"Hey!" I remarked and reached for the remote.

But Alice held it tight.

"Just please listen to me," she asked.

I reluctantly turned my body towards her and looked her square in the eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister. We get along very well. But today, I wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to my sister, after the things I was going through with Bella.

She let out a deep breath. Alice was a very petite person, but she was very energetic and forceful. And, as much as I hate to admit it, she was almost always right.

She looked down at her hands and began to talk.

"Last night, I was doing some thinking. Bella had come to me and told me about Jacob, and I was thinking of outfit choices and such…"

I rolled my eyes. Typical Alice.

"…when I started thinking of what you thought of the whole thing. Then Bella told me that she told you about Jacob a couple days ago. And a couple days ago was when you started all your moping and sad vibes."

Oh gosh. I think Alice knows.

"And I put two and two together," she said as she looked me in the eyes, "and I know that you really like Bella. I started thinking about what you look like when you're with her, and it just fit into place. She doesn't see it at all, Edward."

There's no point in denying it. And plus, Alice could be a huge help for me.

"Yes Alice," I affirmed, "you're absolutely right. I do like Bella. In fact, I think I pretty much _love_ Bella. I need to tell her."

She nodded her head, and a big smile came upon her face.

"I completely agree. I know it will work out if you just tell her. You will be so much happier," she confidently said.

I knew better than to doubt Alice. When she had a feeling about things, it was usually right.

"But, the problem is, I don't know _how_ to do it. Or when to tell her," I admitted.

Her smile became even bigger, "Oh, I can totally help you with that."

I rolled my eyes again. I could see the gears shifting in her little head as she began to think of just what outfit I could wear, and more sickening details.

"Thanks for your help Alice. I appreciate it, I do, but I think I'm going to go into my room and think, while I leave you to do the same."

She didn't even say anything back, instead, she waved me off with her hand as she furrowed her brow and stared off into space.

I chuckled. That was definitely a typical Alice.

I walked up to my room, and played my piano for a bit. I pushed out all of my thoughts, and just let my hands roam the keyboard.

Hearing my stomach rumble, I went down to the kitchen to get some food. I glanced at the clock, it read 2:00.

I heard the phone ring, and Alice picked it up almost as soon as it started.

I watched her pick it up, and say her cheerful, "Hello!"

Then, her face turned to shock and worry. She said a couple of "Oh my gosh!"s and then said goodbye and hung up.

Before I could ask what happened, she turned to me with a scared face.

"That was Chief Swan. He said that Bella hasn't come home yet. She's missing."

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**And thank you for reading. I mean it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Heyy, would you look at that? I updated pretty quickly!  
And alas, I think this story is close to ending....  
...Or is it? :D**

Edward POV

Bella. Bella. MY Bella. She was gone? Missing? Where? When? How?

I could hardly believe what Alice just told me.

I didn't trust my legs to support me much longer, so I collapsed on the nearest chair.

Bella was never the running away type. She was a good, wholesome girl. And what was she running away from? Had Charlie done something to her? If so, even though he was a police man, I swear I would have revenge.

But no, I thought, thinking rationally. Charlie would never do anything like that. I know him.

Wait. What if it was _I_ that caused Bella to go? It couldn't be. I surely hoped not.

Sitting in a chair watching Alice make phone calls to people telling them to look for Bella was not an adequate way to help for me. I stood up, grabbed my keys, and ran towards my Volvo. Before I was out the door, I saw Alice's questioning look on her face and heard her yell after me, but that didn't matter.

I wasn't even sure where I was going. I simply revved up the engine of my car and took off.

I knew Bella wouldn't be in Forks. I just knew it. If she ever wanted to run away, she'd be smart enough to go somewhere else.

I drove for a good twenty minutes, down the familiar roads I always took when I need to think.

I stopped at a very specific spot on the road, looking for the trail. _My_ trail, I'd always like to think of it. But as I found the trail and glanced at it, I noticed something a bit different. It looked rushed through, contaminated, and a little broken. Whenever I walked on it, I was sure to take my time, both protecting and admiring the green nature around me.

Whoever walked this trail previously must have been clumsy and in a hurry. I wondered… could it be?

The idea completely took hold of me, and I found myself sprinting up the path. It was a terrible morning to be looking for someone, for there was a thick haze settled on the Earth.

As my feet walked upon something other than the rocky path, I knew I had arrived at my meadow.

And then I started calling blindly.

"Bella!" I started to shout with all of my might. I was desperately looking around, sure that I would find her here.

And then, I heard an angel's voice call urgently back to me.

"Edward!"

I would recognize that voice anywhere. Where ever I would go in life, I had no doubt that I would recognize that voice. And at that moment, it was the most amazing thing I had ever heard.

I looked toward the space where I heard my name, and thanking the heavens, I saw her. Bella. _My_ Bella.

She looked distraught, as if she had been pulling her hair out and not sleeping for days. Her mahogany hair was in disarray, wavy and untamed. Her eyes looked like they held too much information for her to handle, her pools of chocolate looking overwhelmed.

She had never looked more beautiful to me.

I sprinted towards her as fast as I could, and took her into my arms. She felt right there. And I felt whole. I held onto her with all of my might, never wanting to let her go again. And, to my delight, she gripped to me tighter too.

Then the next thing I did, I have no idea why I did it. I have no idea what came over me, what possessed me, whether it be the heat of the moment or the fact that I had waited so long to do it. But I was sure as hell glad I did.

I pulled out of the embrace, locked eyes with her, and kissed her. I kissed her like I had wanted to ever since I had discovered my love for her. I tried to convey to her all my love for her in that kiss. And the reason I am glad I did it?

She didn't pull away. She kissed me back. She kissed me back with a love and passion I didn't know she felt.

Finally, although I didn't want to do it, I pulled away, needing oxygen.

And then, I made a rash move.

I kissed her on her forehead, and clearly pronounced,

"I love you, Bella."

Next, I did one of the most cowardly things of my life.

I ran.

I don't know what made me do it, but not the same thing that made me kiss her in the first place.

I guess I just felt… overwhelmed.

I mean, I've loved Bella for a while, so for everything to go so right so fast…

Was that too good to be true? Was she just going to change her mind as soon as we broke apart?

I guess I was just trying to beat her to the punch. To not let her break my heart.

And I admit, leaving her in the meadow in the forest was an awfully stupid thing for me to do.

But, I panicked, okay?

So I got in my shiny Volvo, and started to drive.

I must have driven for at least half an hour, to the point of where I had no clue where I currently was.

But I did see that there was a hotel, and, rather than spending the rest of what was left of the day flailing around, trying to find my way back home and then dealing with explanations, I rented a room.

The hotel was shabby, but not terrible. It was not a five star hotel, certainly, but it was no shack either. My room was quaint and comfortable, with a full-sized bed lying in the middle of my abode. It was an okay sized room, with a medium sized television in a small entertainment system. There was a table with a couple of chairs sitting in one space, and a desk against one of the walls, with special hotel paper and a pen lying on it. There was a bathroom, and it was not as small as I expected it to be. There was even a little kitchen area, complete with a coffee maker and mini-fridge.

This was the perfect place to hang out for a while.

And that is exactly what I did.

I hung out.

And I waited.

And I thought.

And I began to resent myself and my rash actions more and more with each passing minute.

**... Didn't expect that, did ya?!  
Gosh, who knew Edward was such a COWARD?  
**

**And even though Edward's being a butt right now in the story...  
It doesn't mean that you have to be a butt and not review!**

**Um, I mean,  
Review please? :)**


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